Fingerprints of Stars' new head coach Jim Montgomery all over season-opening shutout vs. Coyotes

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The Dallas Stars line up for the national anthem during their season-opening game against the Arizona Coyotes at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Thursday, October 4, 2018. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)

Across 96 seconds of the Stars' 3-0 win over Arizona on Thursday night -- amid the NHL coaching debut of Jim Montgomery, the introduction of Miro Heiskanen and the return of hockey to Dallas -- the Stars found everything they were looking for.

In those 96 seconds in the second period, the Stars seized control of their season opener, blitzing Arizona with three goals. The sequence broke open a previously goalless game and boosted the Stars to their third season-opening win in the last four years and Montgomery to his first NHL victory.

"It's nice to not have to make him wait for it," said goaltender Ben Bishop, who made 30 saves in a shutout effort.

But in a season defined by a potential return to the playoffs, the way the Stars scored may have been more important than the fact that they scored.

The Stars received a goal from their bottom six when Devin Shore spun in a loose puck on the edge of the crease, 4:21 into the second. Last season, the Stars lacked secondary scoring, receiving the highest share of points from their top four scorers in the NHL. This preseason, the quest for depth scoring was a popular question and a key one if the Stars plan on competing for the Stanley Cup they covet. The first goal of the season was the preliminary step to answering it.

Twenty-eight seconds later, Alexander Radulov netted his first goal of the season, a flung backhand that sneaked through Antti Raanta. The goal came on the rush, a transition goal sprung from the defensive zone. The next one came similarly, when John Klingberg finished a 2-on-0 break by zooming a wrist shot over Raanta's shoulder.

"I think you're going to see a lot of that, as well," Klingberg said. "When we feel like we have momentum, we're just going to keep coming. ... I know how hard it is when forwards are flying through the neutral zone. That's where we're going to be really dangerous this year."

Those 96 seconds resembled what Montgomery has asked from his team. The Stars won four of the five faceoffs. They delivered four of the five shots on goal. Defensemen activated, pinching in the offensive zone to keep possession and create scoring chances. Heiskanen, the touted rookie, helped set up the first goal with a pass from the right circle up to the point to Connor Carrick.

Photos: Three goals in 96 seconds lead Stars to shutout win over Coyotes in season opener

In their own zone, the Stars broke out easily and pushed the pace up ice. Radulov and Klingberg were the recipients later, but Dallas created similar chances early in the game, too, with Tyler Pitlick and Roman Polak firing shots on goal.

It was a renaissance of the high-flying Stars, one largely absent last season with Ken Hitchcock implemented his defensive style. It was what Montgomery preached when he took over his first NHL job, and part of what will assimilate the Stars with the modern game of hockey. The Stars will pressure the puck, possess the puck and unleash their skill.

"I thought the guys did a good job of pushing the pace that first half of the game," Bishop said. "I thought we were really taking it to them and had some good opportunities. You got a little glimpse of the style of play he wants us to play, and hopefully we can keep building on it."

The final ingredient -- a healthy and impervious Bishop -- was present for more than 96 seconds. Bishop made every save in the shutout, frustrating Coyotes shooters and handling the puck behind the net with ease. When Bishop wasn't stoning Arizona, the pipes were. Arizona clanked three posts.

Montgomery's fingerprints were all over the Stars victory. He said the nerves crept in as puck-drop approached but were eased when the American Airlines Center sellout crowd of 18,532 welcomed the Stars to the ice with rousing ovations.

"It gave me confidence that we were going to be in a good place," Montgomery said.